Every 4 years, the people elect a new president. Christians, Evangelicals in particular, look for their champion to be a kind of King David archetype – slayer of Goliaths, benevolent King, and worship leader. Then there’s the neo-Apostolic-Prophetic camp and their so-called words of “prophecy” proclaiming God’s “anointed” choice – always a Republican – who will help stem the tide of sin, usher in revival and restore America to its constitutional and (ahem) Biblical roots. Often such “prophecies” carry with them a broad call for America to repent, for which “prayer warriors” and “intercessors” labor in prayer, while hedonistic Americans go right on living as if there were no God at all.

As often as we’ve managed to elect a King Saul rather than a King David, I see little point in voting for a man to rule over the people. Since 1976 when I first voted, every president has disappointed insofar as bringing peace and advancing the Kingdom of God is concerned. And yet every 4 years, regardless how poor the choices, Christians clamor to vote, admonishing one another to ignore the character of the candidate and vote the issues or party platform, all the while claiming it’s a Christian’s civic duty to vote. Frankly, I bristle at the notion that choosing between the “lesser of 2 evils” is my civic duty.

So what does scripture say about the matter? After all, believers claim the Bible is the sole-basis for their faith. Does scripture obligate us to vote or pick our poison? Peter writes we’re “a holy nation, a people of His own”. Paul writes we’re a “new creation” and “citizens of heaven”. While Paul was a free “citizen of Rome”, he only used his Roman citizenship to escape a religious beating in Jerusalem and presumably pave the way to witness before the Roman authorities, possibly even Caesar himself. So if scripture is indeed the rule and measure of my faith, how can I presume the responsibility, even my eligibility, to vote in man’s political elections when in Christ I’m a citizen of His Kingdom and of His holy nation? Yes, I live in America, but in Christ, am I still an “American”? After all, the Father calls us to “come out from amongst them and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). And in Christ, Paul says “the old has passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Dead people vote in elections all the time, but, I’m not a Democrat. Anyway, I see my responsibility to vote in man’s elections ONLY if my Father in heaven tells me to and then only for the candidate He tells me to vote for.

The way I see it, every Christian must answer for himself whether he is a “dual citizen” and thereby responsible, or even eligible to vote in man’s elections, while at the same time submitting to the government of the Son. Or should Christians refrain from voting in man’s elections, from fighting in man’s wars, from enforcing man’s laws, and so on? It does pique that cynical nerve of mine how strongly some Christians feel about their right to vote in man’s elections while at the same time, asserting their right to opt out of man’s wars on the basis of their faith. So what happens if the very man Christians elect to be our President, declares war? Is it right when on the one hand, a believer claims the civic duty to vote, while on the other hand claims the Christian right to shirk their civic duty to go to war? That’s a mighty convenient Christianity in my view.

In considering these matters for myself, it’s the words of Paul that most resonate with my Spirit: Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you (1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV).

As a follower of The Way, faced with the choices put forth by the major parties in any election year, do I really want to have a hand in electing what may turn out to be a King Saul?

Remember friends, on a Sunday 2000 years ago, they cried “Hosanna!” On Thursday following, they cried “We have no king but Caesar”. Who do you choose?